KEY WEST, FL - USF College of Marine Science students Jon Sharp, Katelyn Schockman, and Ellie Hudson-Heck from the Byrne Lab, along with Eckerd College intern Courtney Tierney, are currently sailing aboard NOAA’s R/V Ronald H. Brown on the 2017 Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and Carbon Cycle Cruise (GOMECC-3). The Brown departed Key West, Florida on July 18, 2017 and will return to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on August 21, 2017, after a full loop around the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the most comprehensive ocean acidification cruise in this region to date, and the first of its kind to explore Mexican waters. Jon, Katelyn, Ellie, and Courtney are measuring pH and carbonate ion concentrations in the Gulf. These data will be vital for evaluating the progression of ocean acidification across the basin and on regional scales, with a particular focus on coastal dynamics.

You can follow along with GOMECC-3 at the official cruise blog at gomecc3.wordpress.com or via Twitter using the hashtags #GOMECC3 and #GulfOA